


The Promise

by vanitypride



Series: Byakuya Togami Oneshot Series (April-May 2019) [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Danganronpa
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, I know I used relationship tags, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, Oneshot, Promises, Secrets, and it's kinda subtle, but please read and hope you enjoy, but yeah no actual relationship between the two i'm sorry, don't hate me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-23 17:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18554377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanitypride/pseuds/vanitypride
Summary: So how exactly did that ‘strange conversation’ go that night? This is the story of how the promise came to be.





	The Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, I’m so stoked to share this oneshot with you all. From what I’ve seen/looked up/read of Byakuya/Toko fics, there is yet to be one about the ‘strange conversation’ they had, according to Byakuya in Trial 2. The vagueness of it inspired me to write my own interpretation of how things went down that night.
> 
> I had so much fun writing this oneshot, and honestly, it’s probably my most favorite work I’ve written so far. Now I feel like an entertainer who goes touring from city to city and is like ‘you’re the best crowd yet!’ Like seriously though, this IS my favorite oneshot. I think it fancies me so much because it’s different from other ones I’ve written, particularly because there’s not really an element of romance to it (spoilers, whoops!).
> 
> But yeah, enough of that, please do enjoy as this is yet another long oneshot. I swear I can never write anything short, no matter how hard I try. Haha XD
> 
> As always, disclaimer… Danganronpa is not my original work. That credit goes to Spike Chunsoft. I do not profit from this piece, nor do I claim any copyright to the characters involved.

  
“Serial killers are fascinating characters, aren’t they?”

A certain eavesdropper hiding behind a wooden pillar froze in place, her body growing rigid at the question. Of all the topics the young man could have addressed, he chose this one? What had triggered this all of a sudden? Grey eyes widened, and though the boy couldn’t see her, the brunette felt like a deer caught in headlights. Was it possible that he figured it out… but how? The girl bit at her thumbnail, which had managed to find its way between her lips, one of her physical signs of nervousness.

She had done her best to hide it, and she knew that  _that_ side of her hadn’t made its appearance yet. If it had, she would have recalled the groggy feeling she tended to get when the switch back happened. Even the authorities hadn’t figured out her true identity, mistaking her alter personality for a man and granting ‘him’ the infamous alias of Genocide Jack. So how in the world had the young Togami heir been able to put the pieces together?

Drawing in a breath to give herself courage, the girl finally emerged from her hiding spot. Her eyes found the other student at his usual table. That area might as well have been labeled with a plaque that read “Reserved for Togami Byakuya.” Though thinking more into it, it was probably unnecessary as he was the only one who spent the majority of his time here. Everyone else indulged in their free time throughout other areas of the school. None of them --in exception to Kirigiri and herself-- were much of the studious type anyway.

Suddenly, a clearing of the blond’s throat was what pulled the girl back to Earth. Pewter eyes locked with cold, calculating blues. The look in them matched the overall sternness of the boy's face and crossed-arm posture, quickly reminding the girl that he had asked her a question and was expecting an answer.

“Wh-what makes you say that? D-Do you plan to s-strike next?” Her stuttering was a normal habit, same with her partially curled and intertwined fingers held close to her chest. The only difference was that she felt more unnerved than usual. To compensate for it, she decided to turn the tables on him. Why else would he find serial killers ‘fascinating’ while in the midst of the killing game they found themselves trapped in? There was really only one reason Fukawa could think of, and that was Togami’s goal of becoming the next blackened.

“I merely make conversation,” he replied rather cryptically. “I'd much rather have you within eyesight than you spying on me.”

“Ohh, b-but, you're busy reading, a-aren't you? I-I don't mind admiring you fr-from afar,” she admitted bluntly, wringing her hands this time and averting her gaze. Her nerves were starting to get the better of her.

None of this went unnoticed by Togami. He normally didn't care for the girl, but he grew curious as to why she was behaving like this. “It's too late for that,” he replied, only somewhat disturbed by her declaration. His tone still held its distinctive sharpness, just not as demanding to the point of sending her away. “Your presence is a hindrance to my concentration anyway.” With one hand, he snapped the file he'd been reading shut for emphasis, his palm resting firmly atop it. The back cover was face side up, not one inscribing to be found upon its dark surface.

Fukawa flinched at the loud sound which rang throughout the entire library. “S-sorry,” the girl began to panic. “I j-just--”

“Stop beating around the bush with trivialities and answer my question,” he demanded, arms crossing over his chest to express that his patience was wearing thin.

“Oh, umm, r-right. I g-guess they are, but w-why the sudden interest?” She side glanced him, trying to appear nonchalant but failing miserably at it.

“Why not?” He countered simply, scrutinizing the girl as if she were a specimen under a microscope. He smirked when he saw her grow even more uncomfortable under his gaze. “You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

At first Fukawa’s eyes grew wide at the implication, but she quickly corrected that moment of vulnerability. “What? N-no, of course not! This is how I always am. Wh-why are you trying to tw-twist things around?” She snapped defensively, pointing an accusatory finger at him. Unfortunately for her, she had taken the bait, falling right into Togami’s trap.

“Really?” The boy managed to express so much in that single word. While the cadence of it dripped with sarcasm, Togami also felt revulsion at being insulted by the girl. How dare she question his intelligence. He would prove her wrong and get to the bottom of this. Rising from his seat, he made his way over to her.

Fukawa felt so small in that moment, intimidated by his tremendous height. Either she had shrunken herself down in her nervousness and fear, or he really was that much taller than her. Regardless, the girl mentally chastised herself for being so pathetic. The more she cowered like this and showed weakness, the more vulnerable she would become to his endless series of questions.

Couldn’t she just act normal for once, or composed rather? If she were in her typical state of mind, she wouldn’t mind her crush getting close to her like this. In fact she would more than welcome it, believing it to be a dream and wanting to pinch herself to see if it was indeed a figment of her imagination or not. As soon as her back hit the pillar, --the very one which she had hidden behind-- she swallowed nervously, keeping her eyes trained on Togami’s.

“Good. I’m glad you’re able to keep some form of eye contact,” he acknowledged before he went on. “Now, shall we try this again?”

She couldn’t stand looking upon his intimidating gaze any longer. Casting her eyes downward she noticed the file on the table, undisturbed from the moment Togami snapped it closed. “Wh-what file were you looking at?”

Blue eyes narrowed at the girl's face, annoyed that she focused her attention elsewhere. “Need I remind you that I’m the one interrogating you?” He asked in a sharp tone. “Now, answer my question.”

Fukawa met the eyes of the taller student anew, matching the look he gave her. “N-no, you answer m-me first.”

Togami nearly scoffed at the girl's audacity. “I asked you first, and you’ve been avoiding my questions the whole time,” he made certain to clarify himself before repeating his demand. “You’re answering first.”

This was going nowhere, neither of them planning on backing down anytime soon. In an effort to halt this constant back and forth, Fukawa decided to offer a suggestion. “Ugh! F-fine. Let’s re-reach a compromise. We answer each other at the s-same time.”

The young businessman, for his part, didn't see any harm in this at all. They would both get what they wanted, and that was better than keeping up this senseless bickering. “Very well, but don’t turn back on your word.”

“I won’t,” the novelist vowed bluntly. Though what she really wanted to do was express her distaste of his lack of trust in her. Setting those vexed feelings aside for now, Fukawa mentally counted to three before she confessed. It seemed Togami tallied a triad of seconds himself, for his answer and hers rang out in unison:

“Y-you know my secret.”  
“Genocide Jack.”

At the mention of those two words, Fukawa’s eyes widened, her face turning white as a sheet. He knew. Togami seriously knew, and she was still lost as to how he discovered it. Her palms had grown excessively sweaty and she felt herself getting light-headed. A voice called out to her, but her hearing was fading away just as much as her vision was blurring until all she saw was pure black…

\----

_“Fukawa…_ ”

“ _Fukawa._ ”

“Fukawa,” the voice tried again, louder this time when the girl was still unresponsive. A hand rose up to lightly tap at the brunette’s cheek a few times in hopes that it would help rouse her all the faster. Luckily for the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, the girl began to stir.

Her eyebrows scrunched together, producing a few thoughtful wrinkles above the bridge of her nose. Though her lips kept in a firm line, a whiny hum emanated from her throat. Her eyes stubbornly refused to open up to the light overhead, but simultaneously they were thankful the source wasn’t as bright as it could have been. She just needed a moment to take in her surroundings through a different sense.

Her body for the most part was laid across carpet, she could feel it through her calves, even past the fabric of her attire. Her head, on the contrary, was elevated on something softer than the rougher carpet. She tried to distinguish what it was, and drew the conclusion that it did indeed feel like clothes… so then the add softness beneath the layer of clothing on which her head was nestled atop were legs? Whose legs? On who had she fallen asleep?

Not taking anymore of this, she shot her eyes open and gazed upon the upside down face that immediately flooded her vision. It was quite the handsome, well-chiseled visage for someone so young. Those captivating blue eyes certainly didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, it was rather nice to see a shade opposite to her…

Red eyes? Clearly he must be imagining it. Had this girl put something in his coffee perhaps? And maybe she had ingested some herself, enough to cause her to faint. Must be some pleasure drug or other she had hidden in her possession. How crude. The thought of her actually attempting something like that made Togami cringe, his teeth gritting together as his eyes narrowed down on the girl.

Contrary to how she was acting before, the girl glared right back at him, a newfound confidence taking over her. It’s like she became a new person post-swoon. As if this defiant attitude weren’t enough, the girl suddenly sat up with such speed and little to no signs of dizziness. Togami’s lips only parted halfway to give her a warning before he was held at blade point by the Ultimate Writing Prodigy (or at least who he still thought to be the Ultimate Writing Prodigy). Try as he might to show he wasn’t the least bit afraid of her, it was the slight widening of his eyes that gave him away.

“Oh ho, what’s this?” The energetic voice that poured forth sounded nothing like Fukawa Toko. It sounded self-assured, no traces of stuttering or trepidation to be found. “Why do you look taken aback when I'm the one who woke up between your legs?” Her facial expression then shifted into something more smug and mischievous. “Though on second thought…” Her eyes looked him up and down, focusing a bit too much on the area where his legs were crossed. “I wouldn't mind getting between them in other circumsta--”

“Cut it out with your nonsense,” Togami sternly interrupted, regaining some of his composure. “What the hell has gotten into you, Fukawa?”

“Fukawa?” Eyebrows knitted together as the eyes beneath them tried to make sense of the name. “Ohh, you mean Miss Morose? Yeah, no, that’s not me. That’s who _she_ is.” The emphasis on the word ‘she’ made it seem as if she were talking about someone else. It threw a curve ball to the young man’s logic.

“What are you talking about?” The young Togami heir was starting to get a headache with this mind trip. What had this girl put into his coffee, and how had he not noticed it sooner? He could have prevented all of this from happening, and yet here they were. He was trapped between one of the smaller bookcases and this deranged girl with fancy scissors in her possession.

_Scissors…_

Azures immediately locked onto the weapon, noting that they weren’t just any ordinary pair of scissors. Far from it in fact. The intricate, detailed designs on them clearly indicated that they had to be custom-made. Thin engravings ran alongside the borders, forming perfect parallels with the refined edges. Two small, rounded pieces of ruby adorned the cutting instrument: one at its center, serving as a type of bolt to connect the blades together, the other atop a little antennae protruding from one of the handles. Both handles were asymmetrical in shape to the other. While each one had two shark fin-like protrusions, they all varied in size and location. Its tip looked dangerously sharp by its gleam alone, and in that moment it was much too close to the Togami heir for his liking.

Through it all he managed to maintain his calm, despite his heart racing and starting to pound in his ears. Something was amiss here, and he was determined to figure it out. That’s why he couldn’t let fear get in the way. Besides, he was not one to be intimidated by anyone, much less someone like Fukawa Toko. Where was his sense of pride, of authority, when he needed it most?

The cogs in his mind were at constant work, and at long last realization finally dawned on him. Images of crimes scenes flashed before his eyes: men vulnerable, bloody and lifeless, pinned to a wall with the very weapons that marked their gorey end. The words ‘Blood Lust’ formed by their own blood written on the wall at their side. All this was the work of a bloodthirsty killer, and not just any bloodthirsty killer. These were all signature trademarks of one particular being…

“Genocide Jack,” Togami mused softly to himself at first, only to repeat himself with more certainty as he looked the girl straight in the eye. “You’re Genocide Jack.”

“I’d much prefer Genocide Jill, but bingo nonetheless!” She proclaimed enthusiastically. “Someone give this man a prize!” Jill proceeded to look around herself briefly, first on her right side followed by the other. It was then she discovered they were the only pair in the room. Vibrant rubies fell upon the young man once more. “Well then, I can give you a prize instead, hmm? What’ll it be? What’ll it be?” She queried, excitement building at every question. “Ooh, maybe a kiss? Or maybe I can grant you the honors of becoming my latest creation!” She grew quite enthusiastic at that proposition, garnet eyes glimmering more dangerously than before.

Togami, on the other hand, was not at all keen about her idea. He tried backing away to put more distance between them, but he was equally as trapped as he was before. The bookshelf at his back offered no escape route. Even if he tried shifting to either side to make a getaway, there was no telling if and where the girl would try to strike him. He hated this, he absolutely hated not being in control of the situation. But being the young businessman he was, he would figure out a way to compromise with her and come away victorious. “If you allow me to get up and stretch my legs a bit that will be more than enough of a prize,” he finally replied.

“Really?” The girl raised a curious eyebrow at the unexpected request. “That’s so totally boring! Are you sure you don’t want something more exhilarating? I can set your heart racing however you’d--”

“I will pass on that,” he sneered, completely abhorred by the insinuation. He had had enough of this, and was more than ready to push the crazy girl away and make a run for it. Still Togami refused to act physically just yet, opting on a highly authoritative tone instead. “This is just getting ridiculous. Now back away, Fukawa.”

“Who?” The girl promptly replied, a questioning look in her eyes as she tilted her head. She hardly paid any heed to the frustration clearly written on the blond’s face. “I already told you, that’s--”

“Enough with these idiotic games,” Togami’s impatience was really starting to show as he snarled out his words. If this girl didn’t obey him, then he would indeed have to use force. “And back up. Now,” he ordered as he leaned forward a bit.

“Hmm...” She fakely mused in thought before shaking her head a bit too cheerfully. “I don’t really want to.” Jill was playing with fire, but she honestly didn’t seem to care nor had a worry in the world as a result. This only served to piss off the Togami heir more, and the brunette appeared to be enjoying it.

“Then I will make you,” Togami boldly stated, tone growing angrier by the second. “You will do as I bloody say, understood?”

Her eyes instantly lit up at a specific word from his little speech. “Did you just say blood? Well why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ll gladly use my scissors on a hot stud like you!” Now she was the one to gaze upon him as if he were a tiny specimen under a microscope. And her curling tongue didn’t help matters either, making it seem like she would eat him alive at any second.

Azure eyes widened just a touch at the serial killer’s implications. Togami inwardly cursed himself for using a term that rendered her the chance to commit another killing. As if on reflex, the boy brought up both his hands defensively. “What? N-no, I never said--”

“Too late!” The red-eyed lunatic proclaimed much too happily, not giving the young businessman a chance to turn the tables in his favor.

“No, Fukawa, don’t--!”

Before Togami could finalize his command, the murderous fiend retaliated in physical form. She shifted her grip on the scissors, raising her arm high above her head before impaling the weapon into a book mere inches from the blond’s head. It was more than enough to frighten the young man, and Genocide Jill couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction as the normally stoic Togami jumped out of his own skin.

After that one startled jerk it was as if time froze, the young man’s muscles tensing up in a type of defensive mechanism. His lips had parted, wanting to deliver a cry of fear, a cry for help even. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He refused to show any sign of weakness. Perhaps if he stilled himself and succumbed to the girl, she wouldn’t try anything reckless anew. At least for a little bit.

He needed to buy himself some time; he needed to figure out his next step from here. Togami slowly brought his hands down to his sides, careful to not startle the girl or provoke her to attempt a second stabbing. His heart was pounding even more frantically than before, no matter how hard he tried to calm himself with steady breaths. As he focused on his paced breathing, the fear slowly evaporated from his eyes. His bangs since stuck to his forehead, sweat soiling his pristine hair and turning it a shade darker. He locked his eyes with fierce rubies, meeting her gaze like an equal. He was not going to let himself be intimidated, but neither was he going to act entirely defiant to the point of pissing her off. He didn’t want his head to be the next target of her deadly scissor points.

As expected, Genocide Jill didn’t back down from his stare. Of course she intended on taking full control, but for now she was fine with their gazes being on par. At least he wasn’t showing intense resistance or attempting to flee this time. After a moment of consideration, she leaned in, the space between them lessening inch by inch. The girl was pleased to see that Togami remained still, not flinching away or escaping when he could have so easily given into his fear and done exactly that. Jill knew she had him in her hands, and she was determined not to lose that anytime soon.

“Mm-mm,” the girl tsked as she shook her head in disapproval. “I already told you I’m Jill, not Miss Morose. Besides, I don’t give away worthless, dull prizes. So make your choice.” At this point, the brunette took on a more seductive tone, hissing out her next set of words. “Kiss, or death?”

Narrowed red eyes bore into him awaiting only one response or the other. If he were to suggest something else, he was basically signing his death warrant. Genocide Jill had him cornered, not just in the physical sense, but mentally as well. The serial killer was extremely eager to hear which of these two options the man would choose.

_Kiss…_

_Death…_

What kind of barbaric negotiation was this? Neither of them was a good choice!

Blue eyes drifted down to Fukawa’s --or rather, Jill’s-- mouth. Her tongue was abnormally long, sticking out of her mouth and curling to one side as she gazed upon him like a famished predator would its prey. Togami inwardly revolted the thought of that elongated muscle making contact with his own, of it trying to slip down his throat, all the while doing his best not to let any grimaces seep through to his facial features.

But on the contrary, what the hell could he possibly gain in choosing death? It was still early on in the killing game, and the Togami heir absolutely refused to give up this easily. He refused to surrender in such a pitiful and pathetic manner. He had survived the battle against his siblings, rightfully laying claim to his inheritance, his future as head of the Togami family and the Togami Corporation. There was no way he was about to lose it all in the blink of an eye. He had so much potential, so much he could do to better the company over the next few years: expansions to implement, negotiations and partnerships to forge, risks to take, and of course successes to rake in.

After a bit of contemplation between the two, it was blatantly obvious which path would be the better one. As much as he hated it, Togami knew what choice he needed to make. Mind made up, the young man closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose. The action helped to calm him down further, and in turn propelled him to audibly express his choice. Azure eyes finally revealed themselves to their ruby partners, staring into them with an air of confidence in true Togami fashion. “Kiss,” it pained him to utter that one word. Oh, how he wanted to take it all back, but onward he pressed, even making himself repeat it for good measure. “I choose kiss.”

Garnet eyes widened a bit at the man’s answer. The girl appeared to be in disbelief that the handsome blond decided to share a kiss with her. What possibly made him think the liplock wouldn’t become deadly if she so chose it to be? Oh well, too late for that now, right? Jill only grew all the more excited at the endless possibilities of how this could all go. This time it was her heart that was racing, the anticipation becoming overbearing as she let out a squeal of joy. “Ah-ha!” She exclaimed, eyes alight as she lowered her gaze from the boy’s beautiful blues to the pretty lips of his sharp-tongued mouth.

Tempted as Togami was to order the girl to make it quick, he refrained. He wasn’t going to be so reckless as to set her off like a ticking time bomb. He kept his eyes on her though, watching her every movement. He didn’t trust her, and he was making certain that she didn’t touch him more than was necessary. The girl had since crawled onto his lap, both her forearms trapping him on either side of the bookcase as she leaned her face in closer to his. Mere centimeters separated their mouths now, and just as Jill was about to seal the deal, she suddenly retracted and released a gasp. It was followed by another, as if she were struggling to breathe. The girl --Togami quickly deduced-- was on the verge of sneezing and attempting to suppress it, but her efforts were all turning out to be futile.

Unable to hold it back any longer, Jill bowed her head in a swift motion as she surrendered to the irritant plaguing her nostrils. “Achoo!” She exclaimed, a blast of air exerting from her nose and mouth, the gust strong enough to be felt by the man beneath her.

A sneer was clearly depicted on said man’s face, unashamed of showing his repulsiveness at Jill’s action. “You could have at least covered your mouth or turned your head away, couldn't you?” Glaring blue eyes dropped their gaze from the girl's face to his arm, which was protected by his suit jacket thankfully. Still, he could see tiny specks of wetness on it; _I’ll have to figure out an alternative for dry cleaning later_ , he noted in his mentally-kept checklist. As soon as he was done here, he'd be sure to return to his quarters and change into one of his other unblemished suits. For now he drew his attention back to Jill, eager to depart as promptly as possible. “Come on, let’s just get this over with. Now.”

It took the girl a second to recover from her powerful sneeze, but even then she still seemed dazed. “Huh?” The girl blinked in confusion. “G-get what over with?”

The stuttering had unexpectedly returned, Togami noticed. And that wasn’t the only thing. The tongue once dangling outside the girl's mouth had since restored itself to normal, no longer sticking out. The red eyes had reverted back to their pewter hues. It was Fukawa Toko who now stood before him, or rather was sitting atop him.

A blush coated the novelist’s cheeks once she realized that she was practically straddling his hips; it was far different from how they were positioned last, standing face to face against one of the taller bookshelves. “Wh-what happened?” The Ultimate Writing Prodigy was still trying to make sense of it all, trying to piece together how they got here and why. “Wh-why am I on top of you? Were you go-going to take advantage of me?” In a matter of seconds, Fukawa's face shifted from embarrassment to worry to disgust.

“Absolutely not! As if I would stoop so low to commit such vulgar acts,” Togami shot back, repulsed and offended that the girl would dare think him capable of doing something like that.

“You're a degenerate!” She accused nonetheless, her stuttering surprisingly subsided in that moment. The girl had completely dismissed the young man’s declarations of innocence.

“I am not!” Togami insisted furiously, not caring in the slightest how loud he got. “If I were, you wouldn't be the one on top!”

Silence fell between them after that statement, and there was no denying it felt a bit awkward. The Togami heir mentally facepalmed himself; clearly he hadn't thought that one through. In a quick effort to salvage himself, he pointed out a contradiction to the girl’s claims, “Besides, you're choosing to stay put. You could move back, and I certainly wouldn't stop you.” Hopefully that would be enough to convince her to get off of him, preferably sooner than later.

Fukawa supposed the man was right. Had he attempted something, she would surely have less clothes on, and his arms would be keeping her in place as opposed to resting at his sides. Admitting to her faults, she grew flustered and started to scoot back. “Oh, r-right. Sorry...” She cowered all the more when her eyes happened to land on his stoic face. Before she moved backward another inch, the brunette caught sight of a certain shiny object that immediately halted her in place.

Togami studied the girl, watching as her face paled once again. He didn't need to glance over to his left to see what had caused her to freeze on the spot. He knew exactly what had done it.

“Wh-what’s that doing here?” She queried wide-eyed, as if she had happened upon a most gruesome, horrific scene. Her hand rapidly darted out, wanting to retrieve the weapon and shield it from the boy’s view. Unfortunately for her, Togami was much quicker, taking hold of her wrist before her arm even made it halfway to its destination. “N-no, unhand me, you fiend!” Fukawa cried as she tried getting her wrist back.

The affluent progeny rolled his eyes at the girl’s stupidity. He still held onto her hand, not ready to let go until he could trust her to not do something idiotic, or at least until she calmed down. “The damage has already been done. What could you possibly stand to gain in hiding something I’ve already seen?”

Again the boy was right, there was no way she could deny it. She just couldn’t believe that this had already happened, that her other self had finally made her appearance (in front of her crush no less). “You know... You’ve a-already met her…” Fukawa proceeded to muse to herself.

At feeling Togami release her hand, the girl brought it close to her chest as opposed to reaching for her scissors like she had before. She felt ashamed to even look upon them. “I, I was afraid this would happen… Th-that the murderous fiend living within me would appear at any moment… That sh-she would try to k-kill someone.” She paused briefly, realizing she had said more than she needed to. But it was like Togami said, he already saw her other self and had nearly become another victim of the serial killer.

This did nothing to help how Fukawa felt; if anything, it made her feel all the worse. “You're the first one she's m-met, and she already tr-tried to kill you.” It wasn't much of an apology, but even if she tried giving one, would the young man even accept it? He must hate her, he must hate her so much more than before. It was in that moment that a thought suddenly occurred to her, something she so awfully dreaded. Her fearful eyes shot up to Togami's face and locked themselves with his calm gaze. “Y-you're going to out me, a-aren't you?”

Togami remained silent, letting the girl draw her own conclusions as to what she thought he would do. Call it a test of wits for the writing prodigy, and a form of amusement for the Togami heir as he now held her fate in his hands. It felt truly wonderful to be back in control. It was a bit difficult holding back his mirth, but he managed to keep his poker face in check, remaining completely unreadable to the girl before him.

“C-come on, don’t b-be like this.” It wasn’t quite a plea, but it sure felt like one. Still, the boy refused to express any kind of emotion, refused to give away his position. It was incredibly frustrating and was enough to set Fukawa on edge. “F-fine, what is it you want? I’ll do anything. I’ll g-go out on a date with you. I’ll n-never give myself to anyone but you. I’ll s-serve you for the rest of my life. Just--”

“That’s enough,” Togami curtly interjected. These propositions the girl wished to pull off as deals were an absolute joke. “I want nothing from you. Now get off of me.”

“No, n-not until you promise,” the girl answered defiantly, eyes trained on the boy’s face for any sign of movement. Unfortunately for her, Togami's expressionless facade remained intact. How could he be like this? How could he be so inconsiderate? She shared with him one of her deepest, darkest secrets because she had no other choice. Could things have gone her way, she would have made absolute certain to keep Jill hidden away for much longer than this. The brunette felt herself growing desperate, her hands now gripping at the wealthy boy's lapels as a last ditch effort. “S-swear to me you won't t-tell anyone. Swear it!”

Clearly, sneezing on his suit hadn't been enough; now the girl had to go and damage the front of it as well. He should charge her for this, or make her dry clean it for him. Then again, who knows what Fukawa would do with something of his in her possession. He didn’t even want to begin to imagine it. Upon feeling her shake him, he dreaded how much more wrinkled she was making his pristine business attire. “Fine, fine,” he replied in rapid succession, wanting nothing more than for this to be over. “Do whatever you want. Just let go already.” His hands found purchase of her own, trying to pry them off of his brand name jacket.

It didn't take much time or effort as the girl promptly unhanded him at his request. She backed away from him, no longer sitting on his lap but in seiza to the ground in front of him. She avoided his gaze at all costs, still feeling horrible about what had happened moments before. Despite this, Fukawa chose to speak up, knowing it was the right thing to do. She still wanted to make a promise to him in exchange for his silence. “I won’t l-lose control again,” she began, slowly gaining the courage to look him in the eye. “As long as I'm h-here, no matter what, I won't let Genocide Jack k-kill anyone. That’s a promise.” With all that said, the girl rose to her feet and scampered out of the library, sparing him no second glances.

Togami watched as the girl departed, not offering any kind of response. Fukawa hadn’t even stuck around to see if he’d agreed to the deal or not. Not like he cared anyway. He supposed he’d keep quiet about this new, interesting piece of information... for now. In the meantime, it was off to his dormitory to change as he so settled on earlier. Just as he was shifting a bit to stand up, a gleam caught his eye.

The scissors. The girl had forgotten to take them with her. _How could she be so careless_ , Togami thought to himself as he shook his head. Eventually, he turned around and got on his knees so he could face the weapon and pull it out of the book with ease. Its binding was completely ruined, a gaping hole evident from spine to gutter.

To hide the evidence, Togami simply grabbed up another book relative in size to the damaged one. This particular book he picked out came with a dust jacket, so he slipped it off and wrapped it around the broken hardback. After putting the two back in their proper slots, Togami rose to his feet --Jill's scissors in hand-- and returned to his habitual reading spot.

Once there, he opened up the desk drawer and stashed the killing instrument far in the back before sliding the drawer shut. He then picked up the Genocide Jack file atop the desk and directed himself toward the archive room. Once inside, he strode over to the investigation reports section and slid the case file back into place.

Just as the boy was turning around to depart this back room, an announcement blared from within the library...

_“Ahem! School announcement, school announcement. Nighttime is quickly approaching, but before it arrives… All students, please gather in the gym immediately. Emergency! Emergency!”_


End file.
